Bevin Boys
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A Bevin Boy was a man conscripted to work in the coal mines of the United Kingdom, from December 1943 until the end of World War II. Chosen at random from among the conscripts, nearly 48,000 Bevin Boys performed vital but largely unrecognised service in the coal mines, many not being released until years after the war. 10% of all consripts 18-25 were picked for this service.
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Creation of the programme
The programme was named after Ernest Bevin, a British Labour Party politician who was Minister of Labour and National Service in the wartime coalition government. By mid-1943, the coal mines had lost 36,000 workers, largely due to the draft, and these workers were generally not replaced due to the availability of cleaner work. The government made a plea to service men to voluntarily enlist in the coal mines, but few accepted and the shortage of workers continued.
When December arrived and Britain was getting desperate for a continued supply of coal for the war, it was decided that a certain percentage of draftees would be directed to the coal mines to make up for the shortage.
The colloquial name "Bevin Boys" comes from the speech Bevin made announcing the scheme:
- "... We need 720,000 men continuously employed in this industry. This is where you boys come in. Our fighting men will not be able to achieve their purpose unless we get an adequate supply of coal."
The programme
Selection of conscripts
To make the process essentially random, each month one of Bevin's secretaries would pull two random digits from a hat, and all persons whose draft number ended in those digits were given the task of working the coal mines, with the exception of those slated for highly skilled work such as flying and submarines. Draftees thus came from a number of different professions, from desk work to hard labor.
Working conditions
The Boys would first be given 6 weeks of training (4 off-site, 2 on) before working the mines. The work was typical coal mining work, largely spent a mile or more down dark, dank tunnels, and the conscripts were supplied with helmets and steel capped safety boots. Bevin Boys did not wear uniforms or badges but the oldest clothes they could find. Being of military age and without uniform caused many of them to be stopped by police and questioned about avoiding the call-up.
End of the programme
The program was demobilised in 1948. Bevin Boys returning from service received no medals, nor did they have the right to return to the jobs they had at the beginning of the war, as did other servicemen. The Bevin Boys were not fully recognised for their service until 1995, 50 years after VE Day.
Other usages
The term was also used facetiously of or by entrants to the Foreign Office during time Bevin was Foreign Secretary.
Famous Bevin Boys
| Sir James Savile Kt. OBE. KCSG. LL.D | DJ and charity worker | "I went down as a boy and came up as a man." |
| Jock Purdon | Folk singer/Poet | Purdon stayed on in the Durham coal mines after the war. "For me there's three great generals - Geronimo, Alexander the Great and Arthur Scargill". |
| Lord (Brian) Rix CBE, DL | Actor/manager, and president of Mencap | Rix volunteered to leave the RAF to join the Bevin Boy Scheme. "I have never regretted the decision" he says. |
| Eric Morecambe | Comedian | Half of the famous British comedy double act Morecambe and Wise, Eric worked at a coal mine in Accrington for 11 months, which may have adversely affected his health and led to heart attacks later in his life. |
References
- Bevin Boys reference (http://www.ap.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/bmd/bevin.htm)
- Bevin Boys Association (http://www.hants.gov.uk/istcclr/cch17282.html)